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In a major success for the J&K police,a most-wanted Lashkar-e-Toiba commander who was also one of the last few operating in the Valley was killed in an encounter Thursday.

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The killing of Hilal Ahmad,popularly known as Hilal Moulvi,in the Fatehkadal area was the first time in more than three years that a militant was eliminated in a police raid in Srinagar.

Acting on a tip-off,police launched an operation Wednesday night and cordoned off the Fatehkadal neighbourhood in the old city. As the police zeroed in on the target house,Hilal opened fire resulting in a brief encounter.

He threw grenades towards the police and also opened fire, said police spokesman Manoj Kumar. The police party retaliated and in this gunfight he was killed.

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A mufti who had passed-out from Deoband,Hilal was also known as the Azhar Masood of Kashmir for his fiery speeches before he joined LeT and went on to head the groups operations in north Kashmir.

Police say Hilal was involved in the killing of a National Conference sarpanch in Palhallan and also a counter-insurgent in Kunzer. He also masterminded several grenade attacks in and around Pattan,they say.